Electronic devices of all types have become more and more common in everyday life. Electronic devices include non-portable devices as well as portable devices. Examples of non-portable electronic devices include computing devices (e.g., personal computers, laptops, etc.), wired telephones, routers (wired and wireless), wireless access points (WAPs), televisions, most large and small kitchen appliances, and the like. Examples of portable electronic devices include cellular phones, personal data assistants (PDAs), combination cellular phone and PDAs (e.g., a Blackberry® device available from Research in Motion (RIM®) of Ontario, Canada), cellular phone accessories (e.g., a Bluetooth® enabled wireless headset), MP3 (Moving Pictures Experts Group-1 Audio Layer 3) players (e.g., an iPod® device by Apple Inc. (Apple®) of Cupertino, Calif.), compact disc (CD) players, and digital video disk (DVD) players. Along with the positive benefits of use of such devices comes the requirement to power the devices.
Typically, users utilize power distribution devices (e.g., power strips, also called relocatable power taps) to provide power to operate or charge one or more of the aforementioned electronic devices as well as numerous other electronic devices. These power distribution devices typically include a power supply that provides power to one or more outlets. The power supplies for such power distribution devices may or may not incorporate surge protection.
Unfortunately, some jurisdictions in which a user may find herself do not provide grounded power (i.e., a power supply line incorporating a third line that is connected to earth ground) and therefore the power distribution devices receiving the ungrounded power may themselves pass ungrounded power to a user's electronic device. An electronic device having a grounded power circuit utilizing a grounded plug is less susceptible to damage from a surge event (e.g., lightening strike, local static electricity, etc.). Additionally, user safety is enhanced when a user is operating a device capable of utilizing grounded power because ungrounded power may electrocute a user. Unfortunately, utilizing a three-prong power outlet does not guarantee grounded power is present in a universal manner applicable to all regions of the world.
Therefore, a need exists for determining if available power is grounded (regardless of the world region) as well as to communicate such information to a user.
For simplicity and clarity of illustration, the drawing figures illustrate the general manner of construction, and descriptions and details of well-known features and techniques may be omitted to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Additionally, elements in the drawing figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention. The same reference numerals in different figures denote the same elements.
The terms “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a particular sequential or chronological order. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments described herein are, for example, capable of operation in sequences other than those illustrated or otherwise described herein. Furthermore, the terms “include,” and “have,” and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements is not necessarily limited to those elements, but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, system, article, device, or apparatus.
The terms “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “over,” “under,” and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the invention described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.
The terms “couple,” “coupled,” “couples,” “coupling,” and the like should be broadly understood and refer to connecting two or more elements or signals, electrically, mechanically and/or otherwise. Two or more electrical elements may be electrically coupled but not be mechanically or otherwise coupled; two or more mechanical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled; two or more electrical elements may be mechanically coupled, but not be electrically or otherwise coupled. Coupling may be for any length of time, e.g., permanent or semi-permanent or only for an instant.
“Electrical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include coupling involving any electrical signal, whether a power signal, a data signal, and/or other types or combinations of electrical signals. “Mechanical coupling” and the like should be broadly understood and include mechanical coupling of all types.
The absence of the word “removably,” “removable,” and the like near the word “coupled,” and the like does not mean that the coupling, etc. in question is or is not removable.